Free Fabric Giveaway!

Ha! I knew THAT would get your attention - it sure got my attention over at Giabella Designs.

Anyway, here's the deal. I discovered this fabulous new (to me) blog Sugar Shop. She is celebrating her 100th post with a giveaway a $75 gift certificate to an online fabric retailer - Over the Rainbow (again, new to me). I'd much rather not tell you about the giveaway since it increases my chances of winning (insert evil laugh here) but I can't do that to all of my fellow fabric stash builders.

What? You're still here? Get on over there and sign up for your chance to win. You only have until Thursday, July 3. By the way, if you do win, you'll sew something fabulous and post photos on your blog for me to drool over right? Pin It

Next project - another version of McCall's 5527

Back in February I began work on this jacket from McCall's 5527. I was looking forward to wearing the jacket because of that fabulous collar. However, I never did complete the hand sewing the jacket needed before winter changed to spring so I packed it away until next fall.

Not wanting to wait until fall to wear this jacket, I pulled the pattern out again when I decided it was time to sew up my recent fabric purchases from SR Harris.

View A, this time with the sleeve ending in a ruffle, is my jacket of choice. Since I've sewn it once already, and made notations on the pattern regarding the additional adjustments needed, all I had to do was cut it out and begin sewing.

In between walking the dogs, visiting my son, hitting an estate sale with his girlfriend, and all the other normal weekend chores, I managed to get the lining portion sewn together. Anyone recognize the silk lining? Ha, ha! I think we all own this one thanks to Shannon.

I thought I had purchased enough fabric for a skirt also, but unless I want to wear a mini-pencil skirt (which I don't, and you all should be thankful for that) I suspect I don't have enough fabric left over. No problem...I'm sure I can find a coordinating cotton print and whip up another summer skirt. Pin It

New Look 6799 Dress pattern review

New Look 6799.

Love the design.

Love the two dresses reviewed on Patternreview.

Love the way the dress looks on me - not.

You see, I had forgotten how much I dislike wearing necklines like the one on this dress. Everything I have ever sewn or purchased with this neckline ends up being worn once and then given away to a thrift store.

I think this neckline looks fabulous if you have wide or square shoulders. Mine are narrow and sloping. A fact that I should have remembered before purchasing the pattern and sewing a muslin.

Not only do I not like these necklines, but I actually goofed when I did the FBA (full bust adjustment). After all these years of doing FBAs I can practically make the adjustments in my sleep. And I'm thinking maybe I was half asleep when I altered and cut out this pattern. I moved the bust point and it is too low, I forgot to adjust for a sway back, and the neckline is too wide for my shoulders. I have the neck band pulled in for the photo so you can't see how it's gaping in the back.

The pattern can be sewn rather quickly and the instruction provided are good. This pattern even includes instructions for an invisible zipper.

The fabric is a black and white striped cotton with a hint of silver purchased from Fabric Mart a few months ago when they had some fabrics priced at 3 yards for $5 promotion. Because I didn't want to match the stripes at the midriff and neck bands I used a coordinating black cotton for those area.

The upper bodice is lined and both the neck and midriff bands have facings. If I would have sewn this again I would have lined the skirt also. It would be simple to do and make the dress much more comfortable to wear.

I had planned to sew this dress out of a bright tropical floral print for our upcoming Island themed party. Whew, am I ever glad that I was smart enough to test the pattern out of cheap fabric first.

Now, what to sew for the party??? Pin It

Dogs on Thursday - Sophia wants to play

DSCN2194
Originally uploaded by Sharon Sews

Did you know you could upload small videos into your Flickr account? I was pretty happy to see that as we've taken a few videos (very, very poor quality) with our digital camera of the dogs. I was constantly forgetting where I stored them on our computer, so now I have a place where I can easily find them.

Because I no longer have small children in the house to brag on, I'll share a Sophia video. This is Sophia when she was four (two years ago) begging for someone to play with her.

Oh, when you're done watching the video, head on over to 4 The Love of Animals and enter the Ice Pups Giveaway, which ends Sunday, June 29.

(More Dogs on Thursday posts here) Pin It

Vogue 1017 Blouse Today's Fit by Sandra Betzina

1017GraySBTop
Originally uploaded by Sharon Sews

After two weeks, I finally got around to sewing the buttonholes and buttons on this blouse sewn from Vogue 1017 - a Today's Fit by Sandra Betzina pattern.

I realized a few weeks ago that I have plenty of "going to work" clothes and plenty of plain tees and "work-out" clothes but that I had nothing in between. Nothing to throw on with a pair of jeans for a casual Friday at work or for an evening bonfire with friends.

You know what I mean. Something that's casual but stepped up just a notch from your basic crew neck tee shirt.

I choose to use a gray men's cotton shirting purchased years and years ago to test out this pattern. I really wasn't sure if I would like the style on me so I didn't want to invest in one of my "good" cotton shirtings. To help add a bit of interest I topstitched the blouse with hot pink thread.

The pattern went together nicely and, as usual with Sandra Betzina patterns, there were a number of great tips included in the instructions.

The final verdict? A keeper. It's casual enough to wear with jeans but unique enough that I still feel stylish. Plus it's comfortable to wear.

Now that the weather has finally gotten to the high 70s and low 80s I can think about sewing the short sleeved version.

Hmmm, where did I put that white and black striped silk shirting? Pin It

Another successful conversion to sewing enthusiast

Or, as Becky put it...I have succeeded in "corrupting" another to sewing. Love that phrase Becky!

This time the convert truly is a beginning sewer. J hasn't sat before a sewing machine since a class in junior high, which wasn't that long ago for her, but long enough for her to feel unsure of her ability to sew some clothing items.

She stopped over last weekend with the goal of wanting to learn to sew "some cute summer tops". But as we spoke she thought perhaps a tote would be a good first project, so I had her look through some of my books for something that caught her eye.

As she browsed through the projects in Sew Easy Bags and Sew Easy (both authored by Linda Lee and designed with the beginning sewer in mind) she changed her mind about the tote when she came across a tube top. Seems she wears tube tops underneath her suit jackets in the office because the temp in her office is quite warm (oh how I wish that was the case where I work...but that's another story)

Once we had a project in mind I set her free to look through my knit fabric stash and within seconds she had chosen a poly knit from Hancock's. I'm sure most of you have seen it as it has been a popular print among the Internet sewing world - gray/black/white and yellow scallops.

Following the instructions in the book and with some guidance from me, within a short period of time she had produced her first sewn garment!

We liked some things about these instructions and some we didn't, so the next knit tube top I'll show J how to do it herself without the book.

And there will be a next time. She's already signed herself up for a series of beginner sewing classes at a local sewing machine dealers and has asked for a sewing machine for her upcoming birthday. In fact, we're planning on stopping by Crafty Planet today in between estate sales.

Welcome to our world J! You do know you'll never again be the same :-) Pin It

Dogs on Thursday - Abby turns one

Abby, our big lovable lab mix came into this world one year ago today. She was part of an unwanted litter that was given to Last Hope, a local non kill shelter. We were fortunate enough to see her photo on their website and adopt her when she was only eight weeks old

She was just a pudgy little ball of black fur when she came to live with us - about the same size as Sophia - and would constantly roll over to receive belly rubs.

Before we knew it she was up to 70 lbs, a year old, and much larger than Sophia ( who is her bff)

When she's not playing with Sophia, or watching the world go by thru the kitchen window she's content to just lie around (or is it lay around...I always get those confused).

We couldn't have asked for a better dog. Happy barkday Abby!


More Dogs on Thursday blog posts here Pin It

Farewell, Make it Mine magazine...we hardly knew you :-(

I received this email notice this afternoon from the publisher of that fabulous new magazine Make It Mine. Sadly, after only two issues, the decision was made to not continue to publish the magazine.

Dear Newsletter Recipient,

We thank you for your interest in Make It Mine magazine and for registering to receive our newsletter. However, we have decided we will not continue to publish the magazine, the Web site, or the newsletter. We received a very positive response to Make It Mine, but not enough to warrant further publication.

The Web site will remain active through the on-sale date of the magazine. Voting for the purse challenge will continue, as promised, through June 18 at midnight central time. We will announce the three winners for the purse challenge on the Make It Mine blog before June 30, 2008.

For other craft- and jewelry-related Web sites, periodicals, or books you may find interesting, please visit our Web site, BeadAndCraftBooks.com.

If you need further assistance, please contact us at Kalmbach.com, e-mail customerservice@kalmbach.com, phone 800-533-6644 M-F, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CST, or fax 262-796-1615. Customers outside the U.S. and Canada may contact us at 262-796-8776, ext. 421.

Sincerely,

Publisher, Make It Min

I am glad that I discovered the magazine when it was newly released and had the chance to own - and give away - copies. Pin It

The Amazing Kait Untold

--Clears throat dramatically--

Hi!!! The name is Caitlin, but i go by Kait.
I guess you could say I'm a normal teen.
One that likes to hang with friends, go shopping, and of course buys clothes!
Clothes are like pictures. All different in some kind of form. Especially when you have a chance to make it yourself.
That's exactly what i did when i made a somewhat surprising stop at her house last weekend.
Saturday night to be exact.

Her sewing room is amazing I must say. She has like literally everything. I spent twenty minutes just looking at all the patterns she has. Moments later she took out the fabric I picked out online as well as seven patterns.
There I stood looking back and forth thinking, "which one to pick? which one to pick?" I was like a child in a candy store deciding between the Twixs or the Snickers. Well i did finally decide on the cute yellow poke a dots with the pink beneath them. Which i must say are total fabulous summer colors. I also picked the vintage pattern from the 70's. (they had some sweet styles back then.) That night we did start to cut but then the tornado sirens went off and that's where we ended.

The next morning we began. Sharon being the nice aunt she is cut out everything I needed. Which I was pretty thankful for because the cutting is the worse part. I was pumped, ready to use her sewing machine. But i ended up ironing first. Which wasn't bad at all. Ironing is kind of fun... in a way. After that I sewed my master piece.

Of course you know there are many details.
But that's just to much to type. :]
So I'll tell you some +'s and -'s

--My negative--
Oh I was so angry towards the end of my piece of art. Sharon and I had folded the bottom of the dress so it would look nice and not stringy. Anyways, when I ironed it I hadn't ironed it straight enough is what I'm guessing and it had folded under when I was sewing it. Man oh man, it could have been the end of the world right there. I got so frustrated. Here I was at the end and just had to mess up then! All I wanted was to wear it! Sharon ended up fixing it.

--My Positive--
It was an amazing experience. Of course I would like to continue this. The feeling you get when you accomplish something amazing is just astonishing. You just feel so great that you actually could make... that! The pattern was perfect as well as the fabric. I'm so proud of myself for bring myself back into this. I havn't did this is so long and it just feels wonderful. Sharon i hoped you liked having me. :] (She's one of the best aunts anyone could have.)

Anywho, I hope you enjoys my short essay about my experience.
Thanks again for having me Sharon.
Love always-- The Awesome, grand, remarkable, cool niece... <3 KAIT <3

((((Ps Sharon... YOU HAVE MY PHOTO-ALBUM!!!! IM NAKED WITH OUT IT!!!!! :[ And i have new pictures to put in it :[ )))) Pin It

Retro 1972 Simplicity 9927 Jiffy Dress

While I personally didn't get much sewing done this past weekend, my overnight guest did.

Using an Amy Butler cotton print (fuchsia martini) and a vintage 1972 sewing pattern (Simplicity 9927) she sewed herself a summer dress.

A few hours of supervised sewing time and "Ta-Da!" she was busy modeling her fabulous retro halter mini.


She was thrilled with the dress - as well she should be. She looks adorable and she did it all herself.

She hasn't done any sewing for more than five years and I think she did an awesome job for a fairly new sewer.

I sure hope she remembers to add a lot of sunscreen before wearing this one outside for any length of time.
See? She's already busy contemplating what her next sewing project will be. Hee, hee - she's one of us now!


I've invited her to be a guest blogger here to tell us about sewing this dress from her perspective, so watch for a future post regarding the sewing adventures of a beginning sewer. Pin It

Flirty Apron Swap II - Done!

As usual, I sewed something I would want to wear myself. My original plan was to sew view D from Butterick 4945 - that's the full apron with the flirty flounce at the hemline shown in the center of the envelope.

However, I felt my fabric needed angular lines to not distract from the crispness of the red/white stripes and the sharp blue stars outlined in white. So, view C was chosen.



The ties on the apron are quite long, so they could also be pulled to the front and tied in bow if the wearer desires a more fitted look.



The fabrics, while not intended to be coordinates, matched surprisingly well. The body of the apron is a patriotic cotton print from Joann's. Not only are the colors bold and traditional for Independence Day, but there is a slight sparkle in the fabric which hints at fireworks - another tradition. The blue trim fabric, also purchased from Joann's, is one of their cotton batiks.

And just to add an extra bit of pop, I used a white ric rac with blue polka dots as trim along the bottom border and the top of the pockets. I actually found the ric rac in a scrapbook section of a closeout store. It washed up beautifully so instead of scrapbook projects, it's being used on sewing projects.



Summer is too short and I already have way too many projects scheduled, both sewing and non sewing, so this will be my last swap for awhile. Pin It

Hey Sally - You're the blogoversary drawing winner

Since there were only 12 of you interested in the drawing, everyone had a pretty good chance of their number being picked.

Number 12 came up first using the random integer generator from Random.org

Sally was number 12 - congrats Sally. I'll contact you via email.

Thanks so much for your kind messages regarding the blog.

Pin It

Flashback Friday - 1979 and a young man's suit

This flashback to 1979 is in honor of my son and a throwback to the carefree days of childhood.

You see, my son and his girlfriend purchased their first home two weeks ago - a charming home originally built in the early 1900s.

The past two weeks have been a frenzy of work all day and come home to do projects all evening - painting, installing floors, ripping out walls, pulling weeds, lawn care, etc. - all those things that need to be done when you become a homeowner.

When I spoke to him yesterday he was already mentioning how much he was looking forward to an upcoming vacation and time away from home projects. What can I say? My baby is officially a grown up :-)

And you know what? He may not wear suits any longer (and yes, I did indeed sew the suit and shirt this adorable little one is wearing) but he still is quite a fashionable and well dressed young man...even while painting the house.

Pin It

Blogoversary number two

Been so busy I missed my second blogoversary - which was two days ago. Wow, did that two years ever go fast.

What began as a way for me to learn about these "blog" things, as well as an online sewing diary has blossomed into much more.

While I knew instinctively that sewers in general are generous and kind, it has been confirmed over these past few years by the incredible amount of encouragement, sharing, and online friendships that have developed.

My online sewing diary grew into ramblings about my dogs as well as a glimpse into my past with my Flashback Friday posts. Thank you for stopping by to see what I'm sewing, for indulging me when I brag on my pets, kids and hubby, and for laughing with me as I share my past fashion highs and lows.

To celebrate, how about a giveaway? A $20 gift certificate to my online Etsy pattern shop or a signed copy of designer/author Cheryl Weiderspahn's book Low-Sew Boutique. Just leave a comment on this post and, using a random number generator, I'll draw a number on Sat. June 14 (9 p.m. CST)

Thank you again for being a sewing friend and part of my blogging journey! Pin It

Runway Gal

Runway Gal
Originally uploaded by Minnesota Historical Society

As I was browsing through Flickr looking for additional photos from the recent RetroRama, I came across this runway gal modeling a fabulous 50s housedress :-)

Just proof that I was indeed easily persuaded to walk the runway.

Aw, c'mon...wouldn't you?

(click on the photo to view additional photos of the event.) Pin It

McCall's 5431 Skirt

I have a closet full of skirt, yet I continue to sew new ones. What can I say? I love skirts.

Such as this one. Another skirt from McCall's 5431 - same view as the one I sewed last spring.

It's a very full skirt but this one doesn't have as much movement as the one I sewed last year. That's because I used a heavier fabric.

The fabric, a stretch cotton sateen, was purchased a few weeks ago at Treadle Yard Goods. It has a fun retro vibe to it with shades of turquoise and green.

I thought of this skirt pattern as soon I saw the fabric but wasn't sure what color to use for the contrasting band. In my mind I was thinking black would be a safe choice, but I asked the two sales people at Treadle what they suggested. One of them immediately said she was pretty sure she had seen a coordinating green sateen in the remnant bin. She retrieved the remnant, the greens matched, and I went outside my comfort zone and added a green border. Now that is one reason why it's so wonderful to have an independent fabric store staffed with people who actually sew.

Now that the skirt is done I'm eager for the arrival of weather warm enough for me to actually wear the skirt!

In the meantime, I think my next sewing project will be a sHirt, not a sKirt! Pin It

Sassy Apron - Received!

Came home from work, saw package in mail box, looked at return address on package, thought it might be the apron from the sassy apron swap, got super excited when I saw "Giabella Designs", ripped open package, and look what was inside...

L-O-V-E IT!

The details are suburb. The apron tie is long enough to wrap around and tie in front (as shown above) tie to either side, or tie in the back. The bottom is trimmed with box pleated fabric that must have been incredibly time consuming - and it was done beautifully.

Have you discovered her blog yet? Hop on over and see close ups of this apron that were posted before she mailed it off. There's even a tutorial for making the box pleat trim if you're interested.

Thank you so much for this great summer apron! It will bring a smile to my face every time I wear it.

Pin It

Catching up on the tag games...

Fair warning - no sewing stuff today - just a few games of tag from the sewing blog world.

Tag game number 1 - get to know me
Tagged by Charity (man, oh man do I love her stuff!) a game of tag to help us know one another better.

What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was newly (re)married, working at a job I intensely disliked (selling steel), preparing to put home on the market, and spending lots of time sewing :-)

What are five things on my to-do list today?

• Go to work- Done
• Ship orders from my Etsy pattern shop – Done
• Pick up drycleaning order – Done
• Wash clothes – ugh, where *do* all those dirty clothes come from?
• Practice animal faces for an upcoming face painting gig – as soon as I get off of the computer
  

Snacks I enjoy:
M&M’s and Tostitos bite size round tortilla chips - hold the salsa

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

• Give money to our church – it’d be so cool if we could afford our own church building
• Support all my fave charities including World Vision, Cheerful Givers, Last Hope Pet Adoption, Samaritan’s Purse, and Union Gospel Mission.
• Buy my children and siblings new homes and my parents a townhome (if they wanted one)
• Travel with my hubby - I've always wanted to see Ireland
• Finish the lower level in our home as well as the landscaping.
• Buy an embroidery machine and a machine dedicated to making buttonholes
• Hire a coach to teach me how to sing on key
  

Places I have lived:

• Denver, CO
• Wichita, KS
• Seabrook, TX
• And Minnesota

What type(s) of work have I done?

• Babysitter (child)
• Choreographer and director (child – I organized a dance recital with the neighborhood kids and charged the moms to come and watch – my sisters still tease me about the uninspiring dances I made them perform.)
• Assistant dance instructor (teen – worked with the preschoolers)
• Sold Barbie doll clothes that I designed and sewed (did the craft show circuit for years beginning at age 17)
• Bussed dishes (teen)
• Postal worker - sorted mail and packages (teen)
  
• Sales clerk – Joann Fabrics and Minnesota Fabrics (back when the fabrics were luscious and the model garments were spectacular)
• Keypunch operator (showing my age here)
• Computer operator (graveyard shift)
• Sales (inside) – industrial instrumentation equipment; safety control equipment (for large machinery); ribs (the food kind); and steel
• Drapery workroom owner – (operated a drapery workroom part time until carpel tunnel helped change my mind about that line of work)
• Marketing assistant
• Administrative assistant (my least favorite job)
• Communications – media relations (love this one!)

Tag game number 2 - The literary meme

Blakely and Emily both tagged me for the literary meme. They probably thought I was ignoring them, but honest I wasn't! In case you've forgotten, here are the instructions:

1. Pick up the nearest book, 2. Turn to page 123, 3. Find the fifth sentence, 4. Post the next three sentences, 5. Tag five people and acknowledge who tagged you.

I'm actually re-reading this one - Thorn in My Heart by Liz Curtis Higgs. "Rose had hoped to have a full month to convince Leana and Jamie of their mutual affection and chase old Fergus away. It seemed she might have that much time and more. She grinned as she carefully refolded the letter."

Again, I'm not tagging anyone because I think this one flew around the Internet recently.

Tag number 3 - Seven (weird) things about me
Okay, gotta be honest here. My dear friend Stacey actually tagged me 43 days ago for a seven facts about me and for some reason when she tagged me she wrote "because she ignores my tags and I like that elephant in the room for a few weeks" LOL! Does the girl know me or what.

1. I once tried to balance on one foot on the top of a nail that was sticking out of a piece of wood. It didn't work - the nail went into my foot. I was ten.
2. My family was in a car accident when I was seven. My head went partially thru a car window and I still recall seeing myself sitting in the back seat covered in blood. Freaky huh?
3. I adored my older brother and copied whatever he did. One night when I was four and we were supposed to be sleeping, he showed me how to rock forward on the bed and then somersault backwards. I rocked forward, cracked my head open on the metal bed and had to go the emergency room for stitches.
4. Driving to work one day I "saw" my sister's car in an accident - but there was no accident and she hadn't even left for work yet. Turns out she had an minor accident in that same place later that day.
5. I chased a girl home from the playground after she teased me about my poor singing ability. I didn't know what I'd do if I caught her so I let her outrun me.
6. When four boys chased me home (in fourth grade) I outran them and then tattled. They all got in trouble the next day. Can you say "teacher's pet?"
7. In high school I was too shy to try out as a cheerleader so I ended up on dance line - no talking required.

Considering this one is from six weeks ago, I won't tag anyone.

So, anyone still awake?

Pin It

Sassy Apron Swap - Done!

The theme this time around for the sassy apron swap was summer fun.

What could be more fun than a summer fiesta? (Well, maybe a Hawaii 5-0 party if someone was turning the big 5-0 this summer .... oh wait! I someone I know is...)


Sewn from a vintage Advance apron pattern - number 6607.



As you can see, my pattern envelope is in rough shape but the pieces were all intact. They are not printed and this was the first time I had sewn with a pattern that used holes for markings - quite interesting.

I traced the pieces rather than risk ruining the pattern as I wasn't sure how fragile they would be from years of storage.
(I couldn't find a date on this pattern - does anyone know what year it might have been from?)

Anyway, look at the pockets on this baby! Large enough to hide your margarita AND the burnt pot roast (which probably happened because you were busy sampling the margaritas!)

One requirement this time around was that the apron needed to have sewn embellishments. So the pockets are adorned with ric-rac - notice the red, white and blue on top of the giant yellow ric-rac? My tribute to Independence Day.

The upper back closes with a button and buttonhole so three buttons were used to make it adjustable.


I only had two yards of this fabric and it took almost every inch. I'm heading back to Treadle Yard Goods next week to see if there's any left, because (as usual) I love the apron I sewed and wish I could keep it.

Let's hope my partner is as thrilled with it as I am. Pin It